Make a Calendar with Hardware Store Finds

Put a stack of paint chips to work marking the dates on a clothesline-style calendar.

This calendar will keep you organized. After you build the frame and add twine to the back, write the days of the week on paint chips and use mini clothespins to attach each chip to the line. Get creative with color placement or by marking holidays, birthdays, and other significant days with a special color.

What You Need

Two 8-foot door casings
Miter box, saw
Tape measure
Wood glue
Clamps
Spray paint
Staple gun
Jute twine
Sawtooth hook
Hammer

Step 1: Gather Materials

Gather materials. To save time, look for primed door casings at your local home improvement center.

Step 2: Cut Wood Casing

Cut the door casings into four 48-inch pieces. Use a miter box and saw to cut the ends of each piece at opposite 45-degree angles. Use a miter box and handsaw to cut trim at a 45-degree angle.

How to Make Angled and Curved Saw Cuts

Step 3: Glue Frame Pieces Together

Join the ends using wood glue to create a frame that measures approximately 48 inches square.

Step 4: Spray Paint Frame

Use clamps to hold the corners together while the glue dries. Spray-paint the frame in your desired color.

Step 5: Staple Twine Rows

Staple the jute twine to the back of the frame. Attach one end at the top left-hand corner, stretch the twine taut to the opposite side, and staple. Measure down about 6 inches, and staple the twine again to start a new row. Continue snaking the twine back and forth across the frame until you have seven rows.